Summer arrives and Lisbon fills itself with sights, light and people that reveal bodies (trained all winter for it), smiles and a lot of style. On a city with such a river front centrality, the Miradouros are the highlight of this summer city. But what is a Miradouro? It is a square, a garden, or a wider area on the sidewalk, that is located on a high point of the city and that allows to see a magnificent view over the city and the landscape. It’s almost a belvedere, but it is so Portuguese that we preferred not to translate it.

Many of Miradouros were regenerated recently, and are nowadays privileged places in old part of town. Talking, sun bathing, relaxing, reading a book or just meeting with friends in cafes, terraces or gardens are just a few of the many activities that on these hot summer days and nights, many of us prefer to do on these places.

But Miradouros are very special places that turn on a One of a Kind European Capital. Some have little terraces, others are more popular and have bigger cafes, but all have one thing in common: allowing to look at the city from above, sitting comfortably on a terrace and enjoy one of the best things of Lisbon, its hills and urban landscape, always with Tagus River in the end.

But the most popular aspect of Miradouros are the terraces. All the major Miradouros have a place where one can have a coffee and look at the city enjoying the sunset light and colors. Here are three suggestions for those who are coming to Lisbon.

When facing the river, you have a little gate on the left side of the garden area, get in and go down the stairs and you’ll be in Noobai Cafe. This is the underground Miradouro of Lisbon. You can find old hippies, that now have children, the Bairro Alto fauna, but during daytime, and not so young ones, but alternative yuppies. Un oasis in the middle of the city where you can drink a perfect caipirinha and eat exquisite and refined chicken avocado toasts.

The next Miradouro is the well known and very famous Miradouro da Graca. Since the 90s, here is opened one of the hippest late afternoon summer drink hotspots. Intellectuals, connoisseurs and some young and older artists gather here from 14.00 to 02.00 to enjoy one evolving city at their feet. From mid day Sunlight to min night Moonlight, the view from Miradouro da Graca’s terrace is astonishing!

The third and last Miradouro that we highlight here is the very much unknown Miradouro do Jardim do Boto. Just behind the Sao Vicente de Fora Convent, and beside Santa Clara market, this just remodeled Miradouro has its strongest element the proximity of the National Pantheon and the Alfama and Tagus river landscape. There you can find a new small terrace to enjoy this national monument and the (omnipresent) Tagus river.

Three very different Miradouros, that look the city on different perspectives, but that all have one thing in common: Lisbon, the City of the Hills and Tagus River in all its charm and uniqueness.